CLIMATE ACTION RESERVE

Los Angeles, CA   |  www.climateactionreserve.org

Mission

To develop, promote and support innovative, credible market-based climate change solutions that benefit economies, ecosystems and society. The Climate Action Reserve was approved by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) in 2012 to serve as an Offset Project Registry in accordance with the regulations implementing the California cap-and-trade program. The Reserve has had many of the offset projects in its system recognized by the ARB for rewarding early actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and six Reserve offset protocols have been adopted by ARB for use in the compliance offset system under the cap-and-trade program.

Ruling year info

2001

President

Craig Ebert

Main address

818 W 7th Street Suite 710

Los Angeles, CA 90017 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

68-0477330

NTEE code info

Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C. (C99)

Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C. (C99)

Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C. (C99)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

In the most recent UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the world’s leading climate scientists underscore the need to transform the world economy at an unprecedented speed and scale in order to keep temperature rise to a maximum of 1.5C and avoid catastrophic environmental breakdown. The Reserve promotes and fosters the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through credible market-based policies and solutions. A pioneer in carbon accounting, the Reserve serves as an approved Offset Project Registry (OPR) for the State of California’s Cap-and-Trade Program and plays an integral role in supporting the issuance and administration of compliance offsets. The Reserve also establishes high quality standards for offset projects in the North American voluntary carbon market and operates a transparent, publicly-accessible registry for carbon credits generated under its standards.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Compliance Offset Program under California’s Cap-and-Trade Program

The Climate Action Reserve is approved to serve as an Offset Project Registry (OPR) for the Compliance Offset Program under California’s Cap-and-Trade Program. As an Offset Project Registry, the Reserve lists offset projects, collects project reporting documentation, facilitates verification, and issues Registry Offset Credits (ROCs) for offset projects being implemented using an Air Resources Board (ARB) Compliance Offset Protocol. Registry Offset Credits are offset credits issued by an Offset Project Registry under the ARB Compliance Offset Program, which may later be transitioned to ARB Offset Credits.

The Reserve has also been approved to serve as an Early Action Offset Program. In this role, the Reserve can issue Early Action Offset Credits for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and removal enhancements that meet the requirements of the Cap-and-Trade Regulation. These credits have been issued under ARB-approved voluntary offset protocols and help create an initial supply of offset credits for the Cap-and-Trade Program. Early Action Offset Credits may not be used to meet a compliance obligation in the Cap-and-Trade Program; however, they may be eligible for transition to ARB Offset Credits to be used for compliance in the Cap-and-Trade Program.

Population(s) Served

The Climate Action Reserve is a national offsets program focused on ensuring environmental integrity of GHG emissions reduction projects to create and support financial and environmental value in the U.S. carbon market. It does this by establishing high-quality standards for quantifying and verifying GHG emissions reduction projects, overseeing independent third party verification bodies, issuing carbon credits generated from such projects and tracking the credits over time on a transparent, publicly-accessible system. These standards not only ensure the environmental integrity of using offsets, but they also bring credibility and efficiencies to the carbon market by creating a trusted and valuable commodity.

Population(s) Served

Climate Impact Score TM is a pioneering program and decision-making tool that brings transparency and confidence to investments that claim a positive climate impact.

By providing the finance community with easily understood data supported by a rigorous methodology, Climate Impact Score allows stakeholders to assess the greenhouse gas reduction potential of investment products across asset classes. It is the first and only tool that quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from the projects funded by an investment over their lifetime.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Climate Action Reserve envisions a global economy that accelerates climate actions through full and accurate accounting of their costs and benefits.

The Reserve establishes high quality standards for carbon offset projects, oversees independent third-party verification bodies, issues carbon credits generated from such projects and tracks the transaction of credits over time in a transparent, publicly-accessible system.
The Reserve offsets program demonstrates that high-quality carbon offsets foster real reductions in GHG pollution, support activities that reduce local air pollution, spur growth in new green technologies and allow emission reduction goals to be met at lower cost.

The Reserve operates additional programs in pursuit of its mission.

Climate Impact Score uses our rigorous, standardized approach to quantify the estimated GHG impacts of financial products and provides program participants with an assessment. It is the first and only assessment tool that quantifies the GHG reductions from projects funded by an investment over their entire lifetime.

Climate Forward accelerates action on climate change by encouraging companies and organizations to proactively invest today in projects that mitigate future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The program encourages a wide variety of innovative, creative investments in projects that will mitigate emissions from new types of economic activity, such as a new manufacturing facility, distribution center, housing development or construction project.

Financials

CLIMATE ACTION RESERVE
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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CLIMATE ACTION RESERVE

Board of directors
as of 06/22/2020
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Linda Adams

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 6/22/2020
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

No data

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 11/14/2019

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.